Certain prior art utility meters, including residential and commercial utility meters, are fixed and rely on manual recording of services used. Other prior art utility meters use internal electronic components which read the data remotely, thus eliminating the need for an individual to manually go to each utility meter and manually record the data. In this type of prior art device, the data is transmitted via radio using an external antenna that is typically outside of the utility meter housing, for remote monitoring.
To increase mechanical reliability, in a prior art system the antenna is relocated internally, severely impacting the electrical performance. The result has been loss of signal resulting in communication loss, incomplete data, and reduced performance.
The location and type of antenna used is important criteria in determining whether the utility meter will have poor or good electrical performance for transmitting and receiving the data signal. I have discovered an internal utility meter antenna that optimizes the electrical performance of the meter for transmitting and receiving the data signal, thus improving the data communication.